Massaging apparatus



Jam 14, 1953 B. P. LONDON 2,819,714

' MASSAGING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 19, 1952 6 INVENTOR.

1966.916 filawdcvq ATTORNEY Jan. 14, 1958 B. P. LONDON ,7

MASSAGING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 19, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A 'INVENTdRZasaz'eR a/mbfi ATTORNEY A f MASSAGING APPARATUS Bessie 1. London,Baltimore, Md.

Application September 19, 1952, Serial No. 310,401

4 Claims. (Cl. 128-57) The present invention relates to a new and usefulmassaging and exercising apparatus and comprises an improvement over myprior Patent No. 2,328,156, issued August 31, 1943.

In the patent referred to above, there is disclosed a massagingapparatus for massaging the human body to reduce and eliminatecorpulency and fatty tissues as well as to promote healthy musculardevelopment and circulation of the blood. in the massaging apparatusshown in said patent, a plurality of rollers are mounted on a framemember, said rollers being closely spaced and alternate rollers havingvarying diameters. The user applies the portion of the body to bemassaged against the rollers and by moving the body across the rollers,at the same time pressing against said rollers, causes said rollers torotate. Due to the difference in diameters of the rollers, a bumpy,spanking action is obtained making the massage considerably moreeffective than the ordinary kneading effect.

The present apparatus is constructed to operate in the same generalmanner but with greatly increased vibration of the apparatus. In saidpatent, the apparatus is shown mounted on a door and means are providedfor adjusting the height of the apparatus. Similar means may be employedin the present case but for purpose of illustration, a simple supportingarrangement is shown. The novel feature in the present case resides inthe provision of a plurality of spring members at the rear of the frameand adapted to bear against the supporting surface whereby to produceconsiderable vibration in order to increase the bumping and spankingaction when the body presses against and moves across the rollers.

Thus, the primary object of the present invention is to provide animproved, relatively simple construction for increasing the concussionsand vibrations of the massage apparatus shown in my prior patent.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear fromthe following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing showing a preferred embodiment of the invention.

Figure l is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention showingthe manner of mounting the apparatus on a door.

Figure 2 is a rear view of the apparatus showing the manner of mountingthe springs.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail View showing the roller supporting means.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detailed view showing the manner of attachingthe springs to the frame.

Figure 5 is a rear view of a modified manner of supporting the springs,the rollers being omitted for greater clarity in illustration.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detailed view of the locking arrangement for themodification of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is an enlarged end view of one of the spring mounting bars.

Figure 8 is a side view of an attachment adapted to be used with thepresent apparatus.

Figure 9 is a rear view of a frame member similar to in which theattachment of Figure 8 is applied to the frame member.

Figure 10 is a side view of the apparatus shown in Figure 9.

Figure 11 is a partial rear view of the frame member shown in Figure 5showing the manner in which the attachment of Figure 8 is applied to themodified construction of Figure 5.

Figure 12 is a side view of a modified form of attachment and framestructure.

Referring to the first sheet of the drawings, the illustrated embodimentof the present invention is shown mounted on a conventional door in thehome of the user, the door being generally designated by the numeral 10.The massage apparatus, designated by numeral 11, consists of an openframe member formed of the walls 12, 13, 14 and 15. A plurality ofrollers, herein shown as five in number, are designated by the numerals16 and 17. These rollers are similar to the rollers shown in my priorpatent. The alternate rollers 16 including the outside roller, are ofslightly greater diameter than the remaining rollers 17, the rollersbeing closely spaced together.

The rollers 16 and 17 are provided With suitable pins 18 extendingthrough openings 19 formed in the upper and lower walls 12 and 14whereby the rollers may be freely rotatable. The pins are mounted insuitable washers 20 to insure noiseless operation.

The apparatus may be supported on the door in any suitable manner. Asshown, the frame is provided with a pair of handle members 21, 22mounted on the adjacent walls 12 and 13. A pair of hook members 23,shaped to resiliently grasp the door and through suitable straps 24,support the apparatus in operating position.

The main feature of the present invention resides in the provision of aplurality of springs to therea'r of the frame member to resilientlysupport the frame member against the door. The spring members areinterposed between massage apparatus and the door and comprise spiralsprings 25 with the smaller portion of the spring secured to the rear ofthe frame by suitable securing means 26. There are four springs shownalthough a larger number may be used if so desired. The springs may becovered with a cushioning material to prevent marring of the door.

As a result of the spring means between the massage apparatus and thedoor, when the hips of the user are moved across the rollers, thebumping action normally obtained is greatly increased by the additionalvibrations caused by the spring suspension of the frame causing it tomove towards and away from the user during the massaging apparatus.

In Figures 5, 6 and 7, a modified supporting structure for the springs25' is shown. Instead of mounting the springs on the frame directly, thesprings are mounted on a pair of bars 27 disposed on opposite sides ofthe frame member 11. Each bar is shown as being square in cross-sectionand is provided with pivot pins 28 extending through openings in theupper and lower walls of the frame member. As seen in Figure 7, theupper ends of each bar are provided with openings 29 and 30 positionedapart. A sliding latch member 31 extends through an opening 32 in thetop wall of the frame and cooperates with the bar 27 to hold the bar ineither of two locked positions. Referring to Figure 5, when the springmembers are disposed in operative position to engage the door, the latch31 extends into opening 29 to lock the bar in such position. When theapparatus is not being used, in order to facilitate storing of the unit,the latch member is removed from opening 29, and the bar rotated 90 withthe springs in the dotted line position Patented Jan. 14, 19 58 shown atthe left "of Figure 5. The latch member may then be lowered into theopening 30, thus locking the bar with the springs directed inwardly. Tobring the springsinto operative position, the above procedure isvered-t.

Refeirihg to the second 'sliet bf the drawings, I have shown a slightlymodified form of apparatus. The apparatus is substantially the same asthe constructions shown onthe first sheet except that the frame 11aincludesfslightly thicker walls 130:. and 15a in order toaccommo'datefcylindrical coil springs 32 instead of the spiral sp ritigs 25. The springs '32 are suitably secured to the walls by fasteners33. In certain cases, it is desirable to prevent 'mari'ing (if thesupporting surface by the springs and toalso increase the vibratoryaction or the "springs and this is "accoinplished by providing anattaclihi'ent that may be interposed between the springs and ituesubpsnffig surface. I v

RefdrriiigtojFig'ures 8, 9 and 10, "the attachment comprises fa slat 34having inserts 35 secured at each end thereof' as shown Figure 8. I Theinserts may be formed of wearer-k, 'rubber'orthe 'likeiind are ofsuch'diameter as to be "snugly "received in one "end of the cylindricalcoiled spring 32. ,On the opposite face of the slat, adjaceiit theinserts 35, suction clips 36 are suitably secured to the 'sl a't. Thus,when using 'the attachment, the two slats are positioned at therear ofthe frame with each of the 'fourinserts snugly received in each of thesprings and the suction cups bearing against the supporting surface.This prevents shifting of the frame against the supporting surfaceandinsures a proper vibration of the ll s- H In Figurell, the attachmentis shown applied to the modified form of frame shown in Figure 5. Itwill be obviousjthatthe slats will be of shorter length to accommodatethe shorter distance between the members 27.

In Figure-I2, 'a slightlymodified form of construction is shown. In thisform of the invention, the inserts 35 are attached to the frame and thesprings 32' are mounted on the slats.

From the above description, it is readily apparent that the presentapparatus is well designed to accomplish the objects and advantages setforth. It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be madein the details of construction and design of the above specificallydescribed embodiment of this invention without departing from the spiritthereof, such changes being restricted only by the scope of thefollowing claims.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed is:

1. Massaging apparatus comprising a frame, a plurality of rollersrevolubly mounted on said frame with the axes of the rollerssubstantially parallel to each other, said rollers being closelyadjacent to each other, the diameter of adjacent rollers varying in sizeto give a bumping action to a body rubbing against them, a pair of barspivotally supported at the rear of said frame, and a plurality ofresilient members mounted on said bars for engaging a supportingsurface.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1, said ba'r's being movable to aposition whereby the springs are housed within the frame member.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2, and means mounted on the frame memberfor locking the bars with the springs in operative position.

'4. A device as claimed in claimed 3, said means comprising a latchmember slidable in an opening formed in one end of each bar.

References Cited in the file of "this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,257,957 Kost Feb. 26, 1918 1,509,750 Campbell Sept. 23, 1924 1,546,739LeLande July 21, 1925 2,007,737 Anderson July '9, 1935 2,175,614Redfield; Oct. 10, 1939 2,328,156 London Aug. 31, 1943

